Personality change after ‘flow diverter implantation’ for intracranial aneurysm in a patient with stroke: A case report

ABSTRACT

Objective

This study aimed to present a patient with psychiatric symptoms that occur after flow diverter stent placement in a posterior communicating artery (PComA) aneurysm in a patient.

Design

A case study.

Method

We performed cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), magnetic resonance angiography, computed tomography angiography, neuropsychological tests, Levenson Self-Report Psychopathy Scale (LSRP), and a 25-item version of the Wender Utah Rating Scale (WURS-25). The patient’s recent MRI was compared with previous MRIs. Neuropsychological testing consisted of a clinical interview, clinical assessment of frontal lobe syndrome, and tests evaluating the prefrontal cortex functions (Wisconsin Card Sorting Test-128 card version and Iowa Gambling Test).

Results

Our results showed that the patient’s personality change and psychiatric symptoms occurred after the stent placement. Symptoms were still present at evaluation two and a half years after stent placement.

Conclusion

The study demonstrates personality changes and psychiatric symptoms that might occur as complications following the placement of a flow diverter for incidentally detected aneurysm.

KEYWORDS:

• Flow diverter stent
• personality change
• frontal lobe syndrome
• orbitofrontal cortex
• aneurysm treatment

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.